Shuttle binder control for looms



Dec. 1, 1936. Q wm SHUTTLE BINDER CONTROL FOR LOOMS Filed Jafi. 15, 19362 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Ufifovd Davwm BY l ATTORNEY I l, 1936. c,DARWIN 2,062,702

SHUTTLE BINDER CONTROL FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Egg.

g fi/M/zfor Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CliffordDarwin, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works,Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January .15,1936, Serial No. 59,253

10 Claims.

This invention relates toimprovements in means for checking a shuttle asit is boxed and thereafter relieving pressure at the time of picking andit is the general object of the invention to accomplish these resultswith a minimum weight of parts and disturbance of cooperatingconnections between the binder and the control thereof.

In United States Patent Number 2,025,906 there is shown a gang ofshuttle boxes each having a binder which when in picking or boxingposition is acted upon by a protector finger at the inner end and aspring at the outer end, both of these parts tending to hold the binderin shuttle checking position. A disabling arm movable about an axiscarried by the lay is in line with the binder in picking position, theboxes shifting so that each binder may assume this relation. The arm asshown in that application is fastened to a shaft moving in bearingscarried by the lay and a second arm secured to the shaft cooperates withthe lay connector driven by the crank shaft, both arms and shaft movingas a unit to relieve binder pressure at picking and to permit increasedpressure when the shuttle is boxing. The fact that both arms areconnected together results in a vibration of them by the boxing shuttle,causing unevenness of pressure on the binder.

It is an important object of my present invention to break theconnection between the disabling arm and the lay connector so that theformer is the only part of the train of mechanism which must be movedwhen the shuttle is boxed, thereby reducing binder pressure variation toa minimum. Breakage due to the vibration has also been reduced orentirely eliminated due to the fact that the lay connector engaging armremains at rest relatively to the connector when the shuttle is boxing.

It is a further object of my present invention to interpose between thedisabling lever for the binder and the lay connector a separate form offorce transmitting mechanism which permits the connector arm to rest atall times on the connector, thereby avoiding shock and eliminatingbreakage.

I have found it convenient to mount the disabling arm loosely on the laycarried shaft and secure to the latter a second arm to transmit pressureto the disabling arm through an adjustable element, such as a pressurescrew in one of the arms. I

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a lay and multi- 5 cell shuttle boxhaving my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 looking in thechrection of arrow 3, Fig. 1, the lay being omitted and the lay endtogether with the shuttle boxes and their binders being shown insection,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the binders,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper end of the disabling arm, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation between the shuttleand the binder when the shuttle is partly boxed.

Referring to the drawings, the loom frame It] supports the customary layL on which are mounted for vertical sliding a gang of shuttle boxes Bhaving guide ribs H to cooperate with grooved guides I! supported by thelay end l3." The gang of boxes which are supported by a box lifter rod14 controlled in usual manner by any approved box motion not shown areshown as formed with four vertically aligned cells l5, l6, l1 and I8,respectively, each of which is movable into alignment with the shuttlerace l9 for pickmg.

Each end of the lay has pivoted thereto as at the forward end of adriving connector 26 having spaced parallel rods 21 which extendrearwardly to a cross head 28 moved by the Wrist pin 29 on top of crankshaft 30 of the loom and slidable on the rods against the action ofheavy compression springs 3| interposed between the cross head and nuts33 at the forward ends of the springs. Nuts 32 behind the cross headlimit expansion of the springs and the latter yield should a shuttle becaught in the shed. The connector itself may be the same as that setforth in patent to I-Iillman No. 1,323,391. In addition, each rod 21 hasa block 34 threaded thereon and held in place by check nuts for apurpose to be set forth.

A protector rod 40 is mounted in usual manner on the lay and carries aprotector finger 4| adapted for engagement with the binder 42 of theactive cell box. The rod has a dagger 44 and is surrounded by acompression spring 45 which acts in a direction to move the fingeragainst the binders and hold the dagger raised. The protection is of theusual construction, a shuttle entering the active box being operativethrough the associated binder to rock the protector finger l! forwardlyand thereby lower the dagger so thatit will clear the knock-offmechanism not shown. When the shuttle fails to be boxed the spring 45acts to hold the dagger elevated and as the lay advances the knock-offmechanism stops the loom.

In carryin my invention into effect I provide a rocker shaft 53 mountedfor oscillation in outer and inner bearings 5i and 52, respectively,carried by the lay. A rearwardly extending lifter arm 53 is adjustablysecured to the rod 50 by screws E i and has a finger 55 which extendsbetween the rods 21, preferably lying over the lower block 34 and beingurged to move toward said block by a tension spring 56 the upper end ofwhich is held in adjusted position along the lifter arm and the lowerend of which is fixed.

A force arm 68 has a hub 59 held in adjusted longitudinal and angularposition on shaft 50 by set screws 6!. This force arm extends upwardlyand may be curved laterally to the left as shown in Fig. 1 to align withan adjustable thrust screw 65 carried by a disabling arm 66. The latterhas a hub 51 loose on shaft 59 and confined between bearing 5| and. hub59. An offset 68 in the disabling arm provides a support for the screw65, while the upper end of said arm 66 may have a head 69 formedsubstantially as shown in Fig. 5 with upper and lower inclined surfacesH3 and H, respectively. Similar rear upper and lower inclined surfaces12 and I3 are also formed on head 69.

The outer end of each binder is formed as shown in Fig. 4 with a bracket15 having a tongue 16 and formed with spaced walls 14 to define a guideslot ii for the reception of a guide pin 18 carried by and common to allcells of the gang of shuttle boxes. A pressure finger 16 forms part ofthe bracket and is spaced from the binder proper, lying in front of thehead 69 of the disabling lever 66. The inclines 10, ll, 12 and 13 on thehead 68 of the disabling lever permit the binders and the pressurefingers to slide along the head as the boxes shift.

Each tongue it receives the rearward thrust of a screw 88 adjustablyheld by nuts 8! in a spring 82 having a coiled loop 83 and having theinner end thereof secured as at 84 to the shuttle box structure. Eachspring 82 is so formed as to tend normally to urge the correspondingtongue 76, and therefore the outer end of associated binder, rearwardlyby a force transmitted through the screw 8%], thereby normally holdingthe binder yieldingly in the box, where it can check the shuttle as thelatter enters.

During loom operation the shaft 39 rotates in a clockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 3 the effect of -which is to place the connector 26 inlow position as shown in said figure, when the lay is near so-calledbottom center at which time the shuttle S is ordinarily boxed. As theshuttle enters the box it will strike the inclined end of the binder andmove the inner end of the latter outwardly from the box to rock theprotector finger 4i forwardly and depress the dagger 44 against theaction of spring 45. The latter is weaker than the spring 82, asdescribed in the aforesaid United States Patent Number 2,025,906, togive assurance that the detecting mechanism will operate early duringshuttle boxing. As the shuttle continues to enter the box the outer endof the binder, shown at the left of Fig. 2, will be moved forwardlyagainst the action of its spring 82.

It should be noted in connection with Fig. 3 that during the boxing ofthe shuttle the lifter arm 53 is down since the block 34 on which thefinger 54 rests is low, and therefore the force arm 66 is in rearposition, or toward the boxes, to relieve pressure on the screw 65. Thisrelief is insured by the weight of arm 53 and spring 56, either beingsufficient for the purpose. Arm 68 may be in contact with said screw orspaced therefrom, according to the setting of the screw desired by theoperator.

An important feature of my present invention is that the arms 53 and 5?!are not operatively connected to the binder of the active shuttle beingboxed and therefore the binder may operate in its usual manner, thedisabling arm 66 being free on shaft 553 and offering no appreciableresistance to the action of the associated spring 32. The shuttle willtherefore be boxed against the full undisturbed and uniform resistanceof springs 35 and 82.

As shaft 39 continues to rotate and the lay moves rearwardly to pickingposition the lower block 34 will rise to its high position, therebyrocking arms 53 and Gil in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed inFig. 3, the effect of which is to move the force. arm against thepressure screw 65 to give the disabling arm 66 also a counterclockwisemovement forwardly with respect to the boxes. Since the head ofthedisabling at this time lies behind the tongue l] of the active shuttlebox the binder will be moved forwardly against the action of thecorresponding spring 82, the bracket it by reason of the slot Ti slidingforwardly relatively to the guide pin 78 to relieve pressure between thebinder and shuttle. The extent of this relief can be regulated asdesired, the pressure being entirely romoved, or held to a very lightamount. What ever the degree of the pressure it will be considerablyless than that existing when the shuttle is boxed.

When the lay is advancing toward front position, and after it startsrearwardly a short distance the gang of shuttle boxes will shift, and aseach binder slides along the head es of the disabling lever the latterwill oscillate about shaft 59, especially if certain box cells are emptyand others occupied by shuttles. Since the disabling arm is separatefrom the lifter arm, how-- ever, the latter will not share the motionsof the former during box shifting, and the striking of the lifter armagainst the lay connector, a coudition existing in former constructions,is absent.

Except for the separation of the disabling arm from those parts whichare rocked by the rising and falling movements of the lay connector theparts may operate substantially as described in the aforesaidapplication. As the lay continues to move rearwardly the connector willagain fall, the spring holding the finger be down on the lower blockStand the disabling arm moving rearwardly relatively to the lay andboxes to reestablish proper conditions for shuttle boxing. The vibrationof lifter arm 53 present in former constructions at the time of shuttleboxing is avoided by the structure set forth herein, inasmuch as thedisabling arm which shares the forward motion of the outer end of thebinder moves independently of the arms 53 and t5 and shaft 55!.

From the foregoing it will'be seen that I have provided an improved formof binder control wherein the binder and disabling arm moveindependently of the lay connector actuated parts during shuttle boxing,thereby eliminating quick movements and vibration of the arm 53relatively to the connector to prevent breakage of said arm.

It will further be seen that the checking pressureexerted on theincoming shuttle is regulated by the associated spring 82 withoutinterference on the part of any variable force which might otherwiseresult from vibration of the arm 53 were the latter secured tightly tothe disabling arm. Under these conditions, the checking force exerted onthe incoming shuttle is smooth and continuous, thereby insuring properboxing with a minimum likelihood of shuttle rebound. Also, the fact thatthe force arm is separate from the disabling arm permits the latter tooscillate during box shifting without disturbing the lifter arm, thelatter resting on block 34 of the lower rod 2'! so that little or no jaror vibration exists between the block and arm 53.

(Io-pending application Serial No. 732,493 filed by Santon shows a pairof arms to control the outer end of a shuttle binder, but in that casethe arms are connected by a relativelyheavy spring, the effect of whichis to cause vibration of the lifter arm relatively to the lay connectoras in the first application mentioned herein.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a loom, a lay, shuttle boxes shiftable with respect to the lay torender any box active, a shuttle binder for each shuttle box, a layconnector which rises and falls during loom operation, an armoperatively related to the connector to rise and fall therewith, adisabling arm mounted for free pivotal movement with respect to the layto be operatively related tomove positively with the binder of theshuttle box in active posi tion toward and from shuttle checkingposition, a force arm normally out of force transmitting relation withthe disabling arm and movable with the first named arm, resilient meanstending to move the disabling arm and binder in active position towardthe active shuttle box, and means to establish connections between theforce arm and disabling arm when the first named arm rises and efiectiveto move the disabling arm and active binder away from shuttle checkingposition against the action of the resilient means.

2. In a loom, a lay, a gang of shuttle boxes shiftable with respect tothe lay to render any shuttle box active, a binder for each shuttle box,a lay connector which assumes high and low positions during loomoperation, resilient means to urge each binder toward the correspondingshuttle box, two binder control members one of which is mounted for freepivotal motion with respect to the other and has operative relation withrespect to the active binder to move positively therewith toward andfrom shuttle checking position, the other member being movable in agiven direction by a force derived from the connector when the latter isin high position, the other member eifective to move the first memberand binder away from shuttle checking position when said other membermoves in said given direction, and means to move the members out ofoperative relationship when the connector is in low position.

3. In a loom, a lay, a gang of shuttle boxes shiftable with respect tothe lay to render any shuttle box active, a binder for each shuttle box,a lay connector which assumes high and low positions during loomoperation, resilient means to urge each binder toward the center of thecorresponding shuttle box, a disabling arm movable positively with thebinder of the active shuttle box and mounted for free pivotal movement,the boxes shifting with respect to the disabling arm so that the lattercan have operative relation with the binder of any shuttle box whenactive, a force arm operatively connected to the lay connector andmovable by the latter in a given direction when said lay connector is inhigh -'-position and eiiective to move the disabling arm and binder ofthe active shuttle outwardly from the active shuttle box against theresilient means corresponding to the latter by a force transmittedthrough the disabling arm, and means to move the force arm away from thedisabling arm when thelay connector assumes low position. I

4. In a loom, a lay, a gang of shuttle boxes shiftable with respect tothe lay to render any shuttle box active, a binder for each shuttle box,a lay connector which assumes high and low positions during picking andbox shifting parts of the loom cycle, respectively, resilient means tourge each binder toward the center of the corresponding shuttle box, anelement carried by each binder spaced from the body of the latter, adisabling lever mounted for free pivotal movement with respect to thelay and extending'between the binder in active position and the elementtherefor, the elements shiftable with the gang of boxes with respect tothe disabling arm, and a force arm movable against the disabling arm bya force derived from the lay connector when the latter assumes highposition to move said disabling arm against the element of the activebinder to move the latter outwardly from the active shuttle box againstthe action of the resilient means oorrespending to the active shuttlebox, and means to move the force arm away from the disabling arm whenthe lay connector assumes low position.

5. In a loom, a lay, a gang of shuttle boxes shiftable with respectshuttle box active, a binder for each shuttle box, a lay connector whichassumes high position during the picking cycle and low position duringthe box shifting cycle, resilient means to urge each binder toward thecenter of the corresponding shuttle box, a disabling arm to movepositively with the binder in active position toward and from the activeshuttle box and subject to vibration when the boxes shift relatively tothe lay, means separate from the disabling arm movable by the layconnector as the latter assumes high position against the disabling armin a direction away from the active shuttle box, and means to move themeans away from the disabling arm when the lay connector assumes lowposition to prevent the vibration of the disabling arm during the boxshifting cycle from being communicated to the means and lay connector.

6; In a loom having a lay with a shuttle box to receive a shuttle, abinder forming part of the shuttle box to check the motion of theshuttle, resilient means tending to move the outer end of the bindertoward the center of the shuttle box, a connector to drive the layhaving rising and falling movements during loom operation, a shaftcarried by the lay and extending substantially parallel to the directionof motion of the shuttle,

to the lay to render any means secured to the shaft to rock the latterby i a given direction, a force arm secured to the shaft and movabletherewith, a disabling arm loosely pivoted to the shaft and operativelyrelated to the binder, and means to operatively relate the arms when theshaft rocks in said given direction to cause the force arm to move thedisabling arm in a direction to move the outer end of the binder awayfrom the center of the shuttle box and against the action of saidresilient means, the binder being movable by the shuttle when the latteris being boxed to move the disabling arm against the action of theresilient means.

'7. In a loom having a lay with a shuttle box to receive a shuttle, abinder forming part of the shuttle box to check the motion of theshuttle, a connector to drive the lay having rising and fallingmovements during the loom operation, an element to have abuttingrelation with and rise and fall with the connector continuously duringloom operation, an arm fixed with respect to and movable with theelement, a second arm movable relatively to the first arm andoperatively related to the binder to move with the latter, resilientmeans to hold the binder and second arm in shuttle checking position,the arm which is fixed relatively to the element operative when thelatter rises to move the binder away from checking position by a forcetransmitted through the second named arm, and the arms being out ofcooperative relationship when the element is in low position to the endthat the relationship between the element and connector is preservedwithout disturbance when the binder is moved by a shuttle entering theshuttle box.

8. In a loom having a lay with a shuttle box to receive a shuttle, abinder forming part of the shuttle box to check the motion of theshuttle, a connector to drive the lay having a low position when theshuttle is boxed and a high position when the shuttle is picked, anelement to have engagement with the connector and assume high and lowpositions with said connector, an arm in fixed relation with respect toand moving with the element, a second arm movable relatively to thefirst arm to engage the binder and move with the latter, and means toestablish an operative connection between the arms when the connector isin relatively high position only to cause the binder to move away fromshuttle checking position by a force derived from the connector andtransmitted through the element and arms, the arms being out ofcooperative relation when the connector is in low position, whereby theengagement between the element and connector is preserved withoutdisturbance when the shuttle is boxed.

9. In a loom operating with a shuttle, a lay, a shuttle box thereon, ashuttle binder, yielding means to hold the binder normally in shuttlechecking position, a binder controller movable with the binder andcapable of moving the binder away from shuttle checking position, a layconnector to be in low position when the shuttle is boxed and in highposition when the shuttle is to be picked out of the box, an actuatorfor the controller separate therefrom, a force transmitter between theactuator and lay connector having a pressure contact with the connectorand causing the actuator to move against the controller to move thebinder away from shuttle checking position when the connector is in highposition, the force transmitter moving with the connector when thelatter is in low position to move the actuator away from the controller,whereby vibration of the latter incident to boxing of the shuttle isinefiective to disturb the pressure contact between the connector andforce transmitter.

10. In a loom operating with a shuttle to be boxed and picked, a binderto be moved by the shuttle when boxing, a binder controller positivelymovable with the binder toward and from shuttle checking position, a layconnector to be in low position when the shuttle is boxed and in highposition when the shuttle is picked, an actuator for the controllermoving with the lay connector during the shuttle boxing and pickingparts of the loom cycle, the lay connector when in high position movingthe actuator into cooperative relation with the controller to move thelatter away from shuttle checking position, and the actuator movableaway from the controller when the lay connection is in low position,whereby the relation between the lay connector and actuator remainsestablished without disturbance when the binder and controller move atthe time of shuttle boxing.

CLIFFORD DARWIN.

